


Love is Layered

by obisgirl



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:39:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obisgirl/pseuds/obisgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rush is deeply in love with Belle and confesses his feelings for her, hoping that she’ll reciprocate but Belle’s reaction isn’t what he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is Layered

**Author's Note:**

> Once Upon a Time characters are property of Disney and Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis.  I do not own Stargate Universe, Once Upon a Time or any of their characters. All belongs to the lovely folks at SyFy and ABC. This fanfic is for pure entertainment.

Rush can’t help but stare across the room, watching Belle silently reading a book while eating lunch. He knows as soon as Belle starts a new book, it’s impossible for her to put it down or pay attention to anything else. He watches her lips, quietly mouthing the sentences that she fails to notice that she’s picked up the wrong mug and blushes deeply, apologizing.

He doesn’t even know what the book is about; Belle reads everything, anything she can get her hands on. Her quarters aren’t too far from his and knows that it’s a big mess because books are scattered every where.

She likes chamomile tea with a touch of honey, sometimes with lemon and has a crazy obsession with chocolate. He knows when she’s frustrated, Belle cleans a lot, often rearranging things in her room, so much that she can’t find anything later.

She’s also really clumsy but that is the most endearing quality about her. Rush even knows that the small teardrop necklace she wears is a gift from her mother, just before she died. He also knows the darker parts of her history like how she was locked up for 28 years, alone in a mental hospital (crazy for remembering a fairytale past) and lived in a town that she didn’t remember.

He knows that she hates not knowing what happened her home or her friends.

She’s also an excellent research assistant, more thorough than Eli and the most inquisitive. Her blue eyes sparkle when she’s happy and become a dark blue when she’s sad.

Simply put, Belle is perfect to him.

And the truth is, Rush loved her from the moment he met her.

How could he not love her?

He knows it was difficult for her to adjust at first to living on a ship, but that quickly passed.

Everyone else on __Destiny_ _ thinks that Belle is odd; most don’t believe that she is actually a fairytale princess. Belle thought it was bizarre how none of them believed in fairytales and stopped correcting the inaccuracies, like how ‘chip’ was not a talking cup but a cup she accidently chipped.

Belle’s nose scrunches and she puts the book down, looking up briefly at him. Finally, she notices him and he smiles in her direction. Belle picks up her book, puts her food away and quietly leaves.   
Rush scrambles to his feet, eliciting a few awkward stares before running after Belle.

~~

Rush doesn’t like to think of himself as a stalker; he isn’t the type but he still follows Belle and knows her daily routine by heart. When she’s not with him or Eli, Belle likes to spend time alone on the observation desk, watching the lights streak above while _Destiny_ is in FTL. And that is exactly where he finds her, knees tucked up tight against her chest.

He doesn’t want to disturb her …

“Not many people make it a habit of stalking me on this ship, except you, Nick,” Belle quips, rocking slightly. He can see the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile and he comes closer, sitting beside her. “You don’t have to be like that around me, you know,”

“I didn’t want to disturb you Belle,” he starts.

She shrugs. “A bit late for that,” she says. “I know you were watching me in the galley, reading my book,”

It’s Rush’s turn to blush furiously. He didn’t mean to be so intrusive. “Sorry…it’s just…you looked so enthralled…what were you reading anyway?”

“Well, you’re going to think it’s silly but I asked TJ if she could find me a copy of Beauty and the Beast,”

Rush smiles. “Which version were you reading?”

“The one by that Disney fellow,” she says, “He has some weird ideas about what my story was like. Everything is backwards in it, and I’m sorry but talking silverware? It’s ridiculous!”

God, she’s remarkable, Rush thinks. She can even make fun of herself.

“And ‘the beast’ --- that was so wrong…” she sighs, “I didn’t get that happily ever after,”

Rush clears his throat and Belle looks at him. “Not all happily ever afters happen the way you expect them, Belle,” he says.

“I suppose so,” she muses, “but I wish mine could have been. I hardly think about him nowadays but I still wonder,”

“Maybe you weren’t supposed to have one, with him at least,” Rush continues and Belle scowls at him. “Sorry,”

“No,” she cries, “maybe you are right. Not everything is set in stone. Who knows? Maybe one day I will find love again,”

Rush smiles. “One can only hope, Belle,” he muses.

Belle studies him a moment and smiles. “You remind me a lot of him,” she says, “minus the scruffiness,”

“I’m scruffy?”

“He had a quirky laugh too, never failed to put me into a fit of giggles, even when I needed to be serious,” she continues, “he could be devious and sincere when he wanted to be. Despite the fact he thought he was ugly, he was a beautiful person,”

“Sounds like you really loved him,” he observes.

Belle smiles solemnly, “I did,” she says, remembering that first kiss, True Love’s kiss and the sad aftermath. “We could have been happy together…”

Belle shakes her head, feeling tears streak from her eyes. Rush reaches over and gently wipes one away. Belle doesn’t move, staring at him; he cups her chin and leans in to kiss her.

Rush hesitates a moment, then goes in for the kill, kissing Belle softly on the lips, which are softer than he imagined and taste like peaches.

“Nick?” Belle breathes.

Rush backs away slowly, not surprised to see a confused Belle staring back at him.

“What was that?” she cries.

“A kiss,” he says simply.

Belle pulls away from him, still very confused. “Is this some sort of new development in your life?” she asks.

“Wanting to kiss you? No, it's always there,” Rush muses, “When you’re in the room, I feel like I can’t breathe…”

She smiles.

Nick wants to choose his next words carefully. “I think about you all the time. I didn’t love anyone after my wife died, I devoted my life to my work because that was all that mattered to me; and then, you came along,” he confesses, “and changed all that. I can’t help the way I feel about you, Belle. You’re very special to me,”

“Love?” Belle sighs, “Oh Nick…”

“I’ve fallen hard for you Belle and I hope, maybe you have the same feelings for me,”

Belle shakes her head. “I don’t,” she says, “not that those feelings can’t develop, Nick; I’m sure with time maybe I could love you but I don’t right now,”

“But you just said I remind you of your true love…”

“You do, a lot,” Belle cries.

“He and I --- I know we’re different people, very different but I promise you, I won’t break your heart the way he did,”

Belle sighs, lightly touching his cheek. “I know you won’t but my heart needed to be broken for me to wake up,” she continues.

“So you walk around _Destiny_ with a broken heart because you think that’s what you deserve?!” Rush cries, “Belle, that is not what you deserve. Love hurts, it will always hurt but you can’t shut yourself off from it because of one bad experience,”

“You think I’m shutting myself off from love?”

He shrugs. “Yes, I do,” he says defiantly, “And I know why, it’s because you’re afraid to be hurt. You have to be prepared to be hurt if you open yourself up to love because that’s the way love is, Belle. You can’t run or hide from it,”

“Who said anything about running or hiding?” she retorts, “Nick, you think you know what’s going on in my heart but you don’t and I’m not pushing you away because I’m scared,”

“Then, what is it?”

Belle wants to say but she can’t. Rush sighs and stands up to leave but Belle grabs his hand and pulls him towards her. Belle traces her fingers along his face, he’s not Rumpelstiltskin, he’ll never be him but she knows his feelings are sincere and always will be.

As much as Belle doesn’t want to admit that he’s right, he is. She’s been running from love for so long because she is afraid of her heart breaking again. _Destiny_ is not fairytale land, unhappy endings happen all the time but this is her life now.

Love is layered, a mystery to be uncovered and more complicated than saying I love you. But that doesn’t mean feelings can’t change later. Love will follow.

Love will follow.

Belle sighs, starts to leans in and kiss him but backs away suddenly, removing his glasses and places them on the bench. Belle giggles and Rush smiles at her, amused that she doesn’t want to crush his glasses.

Belle leans towards him again, her lips inches away from his…Rush moves in closer, brushing her lips against hers. The kiss is more of a taste on Belle’s part, soft and sweet and the hairs on his chin tickle her face.

When Belle pulls away, she rests her forehead on his and looks up at him, “If we’re going to do this,” she starts, “I have a few ground rules…”

Rush looks at her skeptically but let’s her continue.

“First of all, I was engaged once and the one thing I really hated about it was how superficial my fiancé was, parading me around like I was some trophy. So there will be none of that. Secondly, my heart is fragile Nick. It's been broken many times before and I don't want to see it broken again; I know that's a lot to promise...”

“It is,” he agrees, “but I'll do my best to keep it safe, Belle,”

Belle smiles softly at him. “I know you will,” she whispers, “the third is more of a request: I would feel more at home if the crew were to start treating me like a person instead of avoiding me like I'm some sort of disease,”

“I think I can help with that,” he manages. “Anything else?”

Belle sighs and leans against him. “Just sit with me awhile before we come out of FTL,” she says.

Rush smiles, kisses the side of her forehead and entwines his fingers with hers.

That isn't what happens though. When Belle pulls away, she rests her forehead on his and looks up at him, sighing sadly. “I'm sorry Nick,” she cries.

“You didn't feel anything,” he says, breathing hard. He expected rejection, the first time but the second time, he wasn't expecting that. Rush stands quickly, glances once at Belle, and then looks away.

“Nick?” Belle pleads.

“I should probably check in with Eli, we'll be coming out of FTL soon,” he says, leaving her abruptly. Belle holds her knees to her chest, resting her chin.

She didn't want to complicate things so she ran, she lied, to protect herself from heartbreak but failed to realize that she broke both their hearts.

But Belle hopes maybe one day, she won't be scared of love.

The End


End file.
